This thought is similar to practicing piano. My kids have one, 30 minute lesson each week. If they don’t practice in-between lessons, progress is slow and engagement eventually suffers because of a lack of sufficient progress. Hence, there is a danger of a downward spiral and before you know it, the kids aren’t playing piano anymore… Sound familiar?

To turn your talents into strengths, you have to study and practice AND reward the behavior you want. You might reward the behavior you want by including collaboration study and practice as part of a team member’s performance review. In the case of my kids’ piano practice, if they practice three times per week, 20 minutes per practice outside of their weekly lesson, they earn 30 minutes of computer game time.

This week – consider doing some study – here’s an article and a tool . Create a GAP analysis on where you are behaviorally on the Collaboration Gauge – maybe ‘coordination’ and where you want to be ‘collaboration’.

What is a short list of actions (study and practice) you can take to close your GAP?